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Justin Lawrence RP | WAS
Rockies' Justin Lawrence: Another shaky ninth Wednesday
Lawrence (0-1) took the loss Wednesday, giving up two runs on one hit and two walks in the ninth inning as the Rockies fell 5-3 to the Diamondbacks. He struck out one.
It wasn't a save situation after Jake Bird had coughed up the tying run in the seventh, but Lawrence still fell apart in a high-leverage spot. The Colorado bullpen has been a disaster to begin the season, and Lawrence's 11.57 ERA and 5:4 K:BB through 4.2 innings has been a big part of that. Tyler Kinley (10.80 ERA, 5:7 K:BB in 5.0 IP) has arguably been worse though, so the door is open for a younger arm like Nick Mears (2.84 ERA, 8:5 K:BB in 6.1 IP with three holds) to move into a more prominent role.
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Kevin Ginkel RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kevin Ginkel: Notches second save
Ginkel gave up a hit and walked two in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his second save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Rockies. He struck out two.
The right-hander made things interesting at Coors Field, loading the bases with two outs, but he got Nolan Jones to fly out to end the game. Ginkel has converted two straight saves after blowing his first chance of the season, and with Paul Sewald (oblique) still lacking a clear timeline for his return, he's getting time to settle into the closer role for Arizona. Through six appearances and 6.1 innings, Ginkel sports a 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 9:2 K:BB.
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Bryce Jarvis RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Bryce Jarvis: Holds fort in win
Jarvis allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over 2.2 scoreless innings in Wednesday's 5-3 win over Colorado.
Jarvis ushered the game from the sixth to eighth innings, giving the Diamondbacks a chance to tie the game and eventually take the lead. He was pulled with two outs in the eighth after giving up a double and was not around to get the win, but he played a significant role in Arizona's comeback victory. Jarvis serves as a multi-inning reliever with three of his four appearances involving at least one up-and-down. Through eight innings, he's allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out eight.
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Joe Mantiply RP | TOR
Diamondbacks' Joe Mantiply: Earns relief win
Mantiply (1-0) picked up Wednesday's win over Colorado, retiring the lone batter faced in the eighth inning.
Mantiply entered to get the final out of the inning against the lefty-hitting Michael Toglia. That put the pitcher in line for the win when the Diamondbacks scored two runs in the top of the ninth. Following a rough season debut (two runs, three hits, one inning), the left-hander has authored five consecutive scoreless outings. Mantiply will continue to work as a seventh/eighth inning reliever in setup for fill-in closer Kevin Ginkel.
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Lucas Gilbreath RP | COL
Rockies' Lucas Gilbreath: Headed for late-April return
Gilbreath (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
Gilbreath is recovering from Tommy John surgery, with his latest throwing session lasting between 20 and 25 pitches. He escaped without any setbacks and is expected to throw again by the close of the current week. The next step could be a rehab appearance, with his ultimate goal being a return from the injured list by late April.
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Andre Pallante SP | STL
Cardinals' Andre Pallante: Takes loss Wednesday
Pallante (0-1) took the loss versus the Phillies on Wednesday, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk while failing to record an out.
Pallante has served in a low-leverage role so far, picking up one hold over six appearances. He's given up at least one run in three of those games, and he had his worst outing of the season Wednesday. He's now given up five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings this season. The Cardinals aren't short on late-inning options, so Pallante is likely to stay in middle relief.
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Tanner Scott RP | LAD
Marlins' Tanner Scott: Goes five outs for first save
Scott earned the save Wednesday, allowing one hit and three walks with a strikeout over 1.2 scoreless innings against the Yankees.
Scott has battled command and control issues, and he's also been disadvantaged by the Marlins' poor start, but he now has the team's first save in Game 13 of the year. So far, Scott has taken a pair of losses and issued nine walks through 5.2 innings this season. Scott walked back-to-back batters in the ninth inning Wednesday and loaded the bases with two outs, but he got Aaron Judge to fly out to preserve the 5-2 win.
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Jeff Hoffman RP | MIN
Phillies' Jeff Hoffman: Picks up first save
Hoffman earned the save Wednesday against the Cardinals, working around a hit in a scoreless ninth inning.
After allowing two runs in his last outing Monday, Hoffman rebounded with a scoreless frame Wednesday to earn his first save of the season and third of his career. The 31-year-old right-hander figures to be in the ninth-inning mix for the Phillies going forward, though Jose Alvarado is likely still the preferred closing option. Overall, Hoffman has a 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB through his first six appearances this year.
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Carmen Mlodzinski RP | PIT
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Activated, optioned to Triple-A
The Pirates reinstated Mlodzinski (elbow) from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Mlodzinski suffered an elbow/forearm injury during spring training and has been on the IL since the beginning of the season. He made two rehab appearances, giving up one run across two total innings, but he will remain at Indianapolis despite being fully recovered. The 25-year-old reliever posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 36 MLB innings last season, so there's a good chance he makes a return to Pittsburgh's bullpen if he continues to succeed in the minors.
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Alex Young RP | CIN
Reds' Alex Young: Sidelined until late May
Reds manager David Bell said Wednesday that he anticipates Young (back) being sidelined until late May, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Young is dealing with a low back disc degeneration, an injury he came into spring training with. He then suffered a setback with the injury in mid-March. It's unclear whether the left-hander has begun a throwing program yet. Young will occupy a lefty relief role for the Reds once he's ready.